Report on the National Zoological Park 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activi- 

 ties of the National Zoological Park for the fiscal year ended June 30, 

 1964: 



BIRTHS 



One of the most beautiful animals in the Zoo is Mohini of Rewa, 

 the so-called white tiger. With her cream-colored coat, striped with 

 varying hues of gray to black, her ice-blue eyes, her great size and 

 majestic mien, she has been an extremely popular exhibit since her 

 arrival in 1960. Her mate, Samson, is a normal-colored tiger but 

 comes from the same strain and hence carries the genes for whiteness. 

 Mated to a white female, he could be expected to sire white cubs. 



On January 6, 1964, three young were born to the pair ; one white, 

 the other two orange. Through the courtesy of Metromedia, a closed- 

 circuit television was installed, and the actual birth of the cubs was 

 witnessed by members of the Zoo staff on a monitor placed in the 

 vestibule of the lion house. Until the cubs were 6 weeks old the lion 

 house was closed to the public. Zoo visitors could, however, watch 

 the little family on either one of two television screens. JMohini 

 proved to be an exceptional mother ; she took the greatest care of her 

 cubs, and all three, now weaned, are thriving. When they were first 

 put on exhibition they were so popular that it was necessary to put 

 a sign on the cage asking visitors to move on and let others enjoy the 

 scene ; some people actually arrived in the morning and spent the en- 

 tire day standing in front of the cage until the building closed in the 

 evening. A film of the birth, combined with a film made at the 

 palace of the Maharajah of Rewa in India, was shown on a half -hour 

 nationwide television program. 



For many years, the National Zoological Park was famous for its 

 success in breeding pygmy hippopotamuses. Then the old male died, 

 and it was several years before a replacement for him could be secured. 

 In 1960 President William V. S. Tubman of Liberia donated a male 

 pygmy hippo, which has now sired seven offspring, three of them 

 within the past year. Two Nile hippopotamuses were also born at 

 the National Zoo this year. 



On September 9, 1961, the first gorilla to be bred and born at the 

 National Zoological Park arrived, the offspring of Moka and 



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